


it's the perfect season, let’s go for it this time

by restitched (beingothrwrldly)



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Background Dylan/Mitch, Bad Matchmaking, Best Friends, Boys In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, M/M, Super Background Connor/Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Sweaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 18:00:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16497509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beingothrwrldly/pseuds/restitched
Summary: “So what’s the deal with you and your friend Dylan?” Tyler finally asks Connor one night. They're sitting around a bonfire in Jamie’s backyard and Tyler and Jamie are sharing a blunt while Connor pokes a stick in the fire. “What’s going on there?”Connor smiles at the fire and his whole face goes softer than Tyler's ever seen. “He's my best friend,” he says, shrugging, and Jamie laughs, loose and quiet.“Connor has known Dylanforever,” Jamie says, bumping his shoulder against Tyler's and then leaving it there. Tyler takes the joint, brushing his fingers against Jamie’s. “And he, like.Loveshim.” Jamie presses the backs of his fingers to Tyler's cheek. His hands are warm, and he rubs his fingers across Tyler’s jaw. “You know what I mean? Connor's in love with him. You know what I mean.”Tyler knows what Jamie means.(Or, a college AU where best friends fall in love.)





	it's the perfect season, let’s go for it this time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ninjamcgarrett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninjamcgarrett/gifts).



> So sorry for the delay in posting this - this absolutely got away from me but I really hope you’re still in the fall spirit! I'm not familiar enough with Sid or Geno so my apologies that they're not a part of this, but I hope you still enjoy this dumb story about best friends falling in love!! Thanks for the absolute greatest request, I had so much fun writing this! ❤️
> 
> Huge thanks to the unholy trinity of E, C, and G for everything, but especially for dragging me into this nightmare fandom and also for their encouragement and kind words while I was writing this terrible thing. 
> 
> This is kind of loosely based around the University of Toronto, but it also isn't really based around anywhere specific. Any mistakes are mine, the title comes from Bloom by Troye Sivan, and if you know anyone or are anyone mentioned in the tags I'm gonna need you to click that back button RIGHT now.

Tyler vaguely knows Dylan before they officially meet, because Tyler is friends with Jamie, Jamie is friends with Connor, and Connor is friends with Dylan. 

It's a real six degrees situation. 

Connor recruits Jamie to start playing hockey in the street out front of Dylan’s parents’ house during the summer before Tyler goes back to school, and Jamie recruits Tyler because that’s just what they do. Connor also recruited Dylan, because that also seems to be what _they_ do, and that’s how Tyler officially meets Dylan.

Tyler notices too quickly that Dylan is always Connor’s top pick when they're choosing teams, no matter who else is playing.

Jamie is always Tyler’s first pick, too, but that’s just how it goes.

Every time Tyler gets the ball Dylan is on him, tangling their sticks together until Tyler loses the ball, and then Dylan passes to Connor so smooth that it’s like second nature, and Tyler hates playing with them, if he’s honest. It’s like they communicate without speaking, not just in hockey but all the time, and it’s fucking infuriating.

“So what’s the deal with you and your friend Dylan?” Tyler finally asks Connor one night. They're sitting around a bonfire in Jamie’s backyard and Tyler and Jamie are sharing a blunt while Connor pokes a stick in the fire. “What’s going on there?”

Connor smiles at the fire and his whole face goes softer than Tyler's ever seen. “He's my best friend,” he says, shrugging, and Jamie laughs, loose and quiet. 

“Connor has known Dylan _forever_ ,” Jamie says, bumping his shoulder against Tyler's and then leaving it there. Tyler takes the joint, brushing his fingers against Jamie’s. “And he, like. _Loves_ him.” Jamie presses the backs of his fingers to Tyler's cheek. His hands are warm, and he rubs his fingers across Tyler’s jaw. “You know what I mean? Connor's in love with him. You know what I mean.”

Tyler knows what Jamie means. 

Connor pushes too hard at a log with his stick and it shoots a bunch of sparks in the air. If it were lighter out, Tyler figures he’d be able to see Connor blushing. “Shut the fuck up,” he says quietly, “we’re just friends.”

“Oh, like, you _love_ him but he doesn't _know_?” Tyler leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. He'd never admit this but this is his favorite kind of love story. 

“He has a boyfriend,” Connor says. He jabs at another log in the fire. “It’s not like that, anyway. We’re just friends.”

“ _Mitchell_ ,” Jamie says. “You’ve met Mitch. That skinny kid, he plays goalie sometimes. They’re gross.”

“Whoa,” Tyler says quietly. Talk about six degrees. He never would’ve guessed. “Huh.”

“They’re not gross,” Connor says. “We grew up together, us and Mitch. He’s really great.”

“Like, really great?” Tyler squints at him, and Connor glances up and meets his eyes. “Or like, he’s a douchebag and you hate him?”

“No, like, he's _genuinely_ great,” Connor says miserably. “Like, he's a great friend, and he's a great boyfriend, and it _sucks_.” Then Connor groans and tosses his stick in the fire. “Okay, I don't want to talk about this anymore!” he announces and stands up. “I'm going home.”

Later, Jamie and Tyler are still by the fire, but the fire’s gone mostly out and they’re laying side by side on their backs in the grass. Jamie’s gone quiet like he always does after the initial buzz wears off, and Tyler sighs and laces his hands together over his chest. “I like spending time with you,” Jamie says after a long time. 

Tyler’s heart stutters, and then it goes back to normal like nothing ever happened.

+

In September, Dylan shows up in Tyler’s 200-level calculus class. Tyler has no idea how _he_ ended up here, so Dylan had to have tested way high to end up in a 200-level calculus class as a freshman. They sit together and Dylan points things out on the notes Tyler takes in class, and then suddenly they're friends.

One day, Tyler is huddled in a corner desk on the top floor of the library when Dylan wanders over. Tyler is staring at a page of derivatives and has his hands tangled in his hair and blasting Jay-Z in his earbuds, and when Dylan touches his shoulder he jumps about ten feet in the air.

“These are easy,” Dylan says after he tugs one of Tyler's earbuds out of his ear by the cord. It bounces off the desk and Dylan sits down across from him and takes Tyler's pencil. “If it's x to the nth power here, then it just becomes n-x to the n minus one here.”

Dylan’s handwriting is impossible to read. He does the whole page of problems in like fifteen minutes and then slides the paper back, and says, “Just put your name on it, they don't care.”

“Are you like, an idiot savant?” Tyler pulls his other earbud out. 

Dylan shrugs. “I like math.”

“You didn't tell me your _boyfriend_ was a fucking genius,” Tyler says to Connor the next time they're shooting pucks at the net in Connor’s parents’ driveway. It's the last hot days of summer; Tyler can smell the leaves starting to change.

Connor flips the puck onto his stick and balances it there, and he smiles. “He's _so_ fucking smart,” he says. “You know he had twelve credits towards his degree when we graduated high school? He wants to be a statistician. Like, who _wants_ to be a statistician?” Then he flips the puck back onto the pavement and shoots it into the middle of the net. 

He doesn't tell Tyler that Dylan isn't his boyfriend. 

Tyler gets it.

+

Tyler calls Connor to hang out one night when Jamie’s out on a blind date with a girl his mom set him up with.

He's trying not to be dramatic about it, but Jamie’s mom is the _actual_ worst. 

He calls Connor because he knows Connor is free, because Dylan’s just posted a bunch of pictures on Instagram of him and Mitch along with a really sappy post, because today is their anniversary. 

Tyler doesn’t mention the post, but Connor seems relieved to have the company either way.

After an hour, Tyler turns to Connor when he mutes the commercials during the hockey game they’re watching and he says, “Doesn’t it drive you fucking crazy?”

Connor looks at him for a long time but doesn’t say anything right away. 

“Mitch and Dylan,” Tyler says after a minute.

“I know what you meant,” Connor says quietly, and he shrugs. “He makes Dylan happy.”

“Right,” Tyler says slowly, “but doesn’t it just…” He’s not quite sure how to explain the way it feels. He’s definitely not thinking about Jamie and this dumb girl he’s out with. Nope.

Connor looks back at the TV and doesn’t say anything for almost an entire silent commercial. “Make me want to rip my own heart out and throw myself off a bridge?” he finally says.

Sounds about right to Tyler. 

“Yes,” Connor says after the commercial ends. “It does. But he makes Dylan happy. So. As long as Dylan’s happy, I can handle it.” He looks at Tyler and something in his eyes is sharper than before, like he’s looking into the darkest corners of Tyler’s heart. “Doesn’t Jamie make you feel like that, too?”

Tyler swallows but doesn’t look away. “I don’t know what you mean.” He’s a fucking miserable liar. 

Connor watches him for what feels like forever and then he nods and unmutes the game. 

“I won't tell anybody,” Connor says, finally looking away. 

Tyler’s heart is racing so fast he can hear it in his ears. 

Connor doesn't say anything else for a long time, but then somebody scores a goal and during the replay he adds, thoughtful, “Sometimes it makes it easier if you know somebody else carries some of the burden, too.”

+

So yeah, Tyler’s in love with Jamie. So what? He’s been hiding it for literal years, and Jamie has no idea, and just because Connor McDavid figured it out doesn’t mean it’ll change a single thing.

The blind date doesn't turn into anything else, anyway. 

Tyler feels good about that.

+

Dylan brings Mitch to a New Year’s party Connor’s having at his place. Tyler’s been drinking cheap beer all afternoon and he’s leaning against the kitchen counter next to Jamie when they show up. Jamie doesn’t notice them because he’s too deep in a really heated debate with Carrick about which Pixar movie is the actual best Pixar movie, so Tyler tilts his head and watches them like a fucking creep all by himself while he half-listens to whichever movie Jamie’s arguing in favor of. They move like a package deal, Dylan’s hand ghosting against the small of Mitch’s back like a reflex he doesn’t even have to think about, and from across the room it looks like they finish each other’s sentences like, nonstop.

Jamie was right. They are gross.

Tyler loses track of Dylan and Mitch before midnight and he loses track of Connor, too, but he keeps close to Jamie and then at midnight he hooks his arm around Jamie’s neck and kisses him on the cheek. 

Jamie groans and says, “You wasted your midnight kiss on me again?” But he has a hand on Tyler’s side and his other arm hooked around Tyler’s neck and he’s smiling, and being stuck with Jamie wouldn’t be the worst forecast for the new year.

Tyler wishes he’d kissed Jamie for real.

Later, Jamie ducks out back to get some air and Tyler gives him a couple minutes before he goes out, too. It’s fucking freezing, and he shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. 

Jamie’s leaning back against the railing at the end of the porch, and when he sees Tyler he smiles this soft little smile and nods at him. “Hey.”

Tyler smiles back at him and walks over, leans next to him with his elbows against the railing. He’s buzzed on one too many tequila shots, and he feels fearless. “It’s getting wild in there,” he says. “Pretty sure Skinner and Eichs are hooking up in the upstairs bathroom.”

Jamie laughs. “Sounds like I picked a bad time to get some air, then,” he says. “Are you drunk?”

“Little bit,” Tyler says, pinching his thumb and index finger together. 

Jamie watches him for a long time. “Did you get Skinner drunk?” he finally asks.

“No, no. Skinner is hooking up with Eichs while _sober_ ,” Tyler clarifies, pointing at Jamie. “That’s what’s wild about it. I was doing tequila shots with Rads.”

“He's a bad influence on you,” Jamie says. 

“I think I’m the bad influence here,” Tyler says, and it makes Jamie laugh so Tyler laughs, too. “Stop, I can be a bad influence.”

“It’s nice that you think so,” Jamie says. “You’re pretty harmless, though.”

“I mean, am I a _good_ influence?” Tyler asks.

“I wouldn’t go _that_ far,” Jamie says. 

They’re quiet for a long time, and then Jamie lets out a long breath. “I love New Year’s,” he says softly. “Everything feels new.”

Tyler _really_ wishes he’d kissed Jamie for real. 

The thing that really gets to Tyler about Jamie is that he’s nice to look at, sure, but he's also attractive from the inside out. His heart is big and open and he cares about _everything_. He remembers everything Tyler tells him, even dumb shit that Tyler barely remembers himself. He doesn’t drink at parties they both go to, so there’s always somebody to drive Tyler home after in case Tyler decides to drink. He loves Tyler’s parents, and he’s nice to Tyler’s sisters, and he’s frequently way too hard on himself but he’s never too hard on anybody else. He's gotten into fights for Tyler before, like actual fist fights, and Tyler doesn't really know how to fit all these things inside his heart when he thinks about them all at the same time.

And who can blame him, really, for falling in love with somebody like Jamie?

“I love you,” Tyler says. It comes easy, because he's said it before, but this time he means it differently and it sounds like somebody else is saying it instead.

“I love you, too,” Jamie says back. It doesn’t sound like he gets what Tyler meant.

“No,” Tyler shakes his head. “Jamie.”

“Tyler.” Jamie looks over at him, the corners of his mouth quirked up like he's about to smile. “You're drunker than you think you are.”

“I'm not,” Tyler says. He doesn't think he is. 

“You're too introspective,” Jamie says. 

Tyler frowns at him. “I don't get introspective when I'm drunk. That's how you know if I'm drunk?”

Jamie shrugs. “You also get kinda needy,” he says. 

Tyler can't believe this. Jamie is fully ruining this moment, even if he doesn’t know it. “It's called being _affectionate_ ,” he says. 

Jamie breaks into a smile then, a full, beautiful smile, and Tyler smiles back because he just can't help himself. “Let me bring you home,” Jamie says, pushing away from the railing. He stands in front of Tyler.

“I’m not drunk,” Tyler says.

“Okay,” Jamie agrees in the way that means he fully disagrees, and Tyler rolls his eyes. “C’mon, Segs, let me bring you home.” He holds out a hand, and Tyler hesitates for a second before he takes it. 

Jamie makes sure to grab Tyler’s jacket when he goes to get his own, and Connor turns up again to walk them both to the door. “Thanks, Davo,” Jamie says, and he gives him this weird one-armed bro hug that makes Tyler laugh.

“Bring it in, my dude,” Tyler says when Connor turns to him, and he grabs Connor and hugs him tight with both arms. Connor hugs back and he’s laughing, and Tyler kisses his temple. “Happy New Year, this was fun.”

Jamie drives them back to Tyler’s apartment and he gets Tyler up the stairs without much trouble, but Tyler keeps his arm around Jamie’s waist anyway. He fumbles with his keys but Jamie takes out the spare key he keeps on his own keychain and unlocks the door. “Get in here, come on.” 

“I’m not even drunk,” Tyler says, because he’s really not, but Jamie is overcautious and walks him down the hall to his room anyway. “Are you going to stay over?”

“D’you want me to?” Jamie pushes him to sit on the bed and Tyler toes his sneakers off without untying them.

“I always want you to,” Tyler says quietly. 

Jamie sits down next to him. “Hey, listen,” he says after a minute. “When we were outside earlier.” Jamie pauses and Tyler holds his breath. “What'd you mean?”

“I meant that I love you,” Tyler says, because he still feels brave. Maybe he is too drunk.

“And not, like.” Jamie looks over at him. “Not like, ‘hey, I love you.’”

“Not like that, no.” Tyler shakes his head. “More than that.”

“More than that,” Jamie echoes softly, and Tyler can almost hear him thinking about it. “Okay.”

Tyler doesn't say anything, and Jamie just watches him, blinking slowly. “For like, years, Benny,” Tyler whispers. “I'm kinda surprised you didn't figure it out. If it's weird—”

Jamie shakes his head. “It's not weird,” he whispers back. “I just didn't know.”

“Can you just stay tonight?” Tyler says quietly. “The way you spend New Years is the way you'll spend the whole year, I wouldn't mind being stuck with you all year.”

Jamie smiles, his eyes bright and sparkling, and he nods and says, “Okay.”

+

Tyler wakes up the next morning with a vague headache and with Jamie next to him in his own bed. Jamie’s ankle is crossed over Tyler’s ankle, and the weight of it makes Tyler feel like he's drowning. Tyler purses his lips and squints at the ceiling, and when he turns his head Jamie is watching him.

“Hi,” Jamie says. 

“Why are you watching me?” Tyler asks. 

“No reason,” Jamie says. He blinks slowly and Tyler suddenly feels self-conscious. “Listen, I—can we talk about last night?” 

“Sure we can,” Tyler says. He chews at his bottom lip, and his stomach is churning. “You go first.”

“I think we should give this a shot,” Jamie says. His voice is quieter than normal but his eyes are focused, determined, and Tyler swallows hard. “I think we’d be really fucking good together.”

“Like,” Tyler says, and he pauses. “We should be clear that I meant that—”

“I know what you meant,” Jamie says. 

“No, but we should be _clear_ ,” Tyler says, rolling over onto his side and pressing his hand to Jamie’s chest, and he can feel Jamie’s heart beating fast under his palm. “I meant love like, in love.”

Jamie nods. “Okay, good, because that's what I hoped you meant,” he says quietly. 

“Like,” Tyler continues, “like, _in_ love.” He needs this to be as clear as possible.

“Tyler.” Jamie grins at him. “I get it.”

“This is the most important part,” Tyler says. “I just need to be sure you get that I’m in love with you.”

Jamie’s smile gets softer. “I get it,” he says again, gentler this time. 

“Okay.” Tyler takes a deep breath and nods. “Okay. Now that we've cleared it up, you—you want to give this a shot, really?”

Jamie nods. “Yes.” He sounds absolutely and completely sure. It’s fucking terrifying and exhilarating. 

It cannot possibly be this easy.

“You know I'm, like,” Tyler shakes his head. “ _Jamie_.”

“You’re like, everything,” Jamie says, “and somehow it doesn't scare me off, so. Lets give this a shot.”

“I'm not kissing you until I can brush my teeth first,” Tyler says. He can't believe this is real. 

“Good, I would really fucking appreciate that, because your breath is the absolute worst right now,” Jamie says, grinning.

“I'm never drinking tequila ever again,” Tyler says, putting his hand over his mouth.

“Never say never,” Jamie says. “I like how it makes you brave.”

“You didn't tell me why you were watching me,” Tyler says.

“I was really just watching you,” Jamie shrugs. “No reason why.”

“That's...creepy,” Tyler says. He's just being honest. 

Jamie laughs. “It is creepy, I know.”

“But you can't help it,” Tyler says sympathetically. He presses his hand to Jamie’s cheek and smiles. “My big dumb creep.”

+

Connor sends a message to their group text while Jamie is in the shower. _Hey me and Dylan want waffles and also french fries, you guys want to go to Aunties and Uncles?_

 _how'd u know we were together_ , Tyler writes back, frowning at his phone. _did jamie tell u already??_

 _Uh what are you talking about_ , Connor writes back. 

_me and jamie what r u talking about?_ As soon as Tyler taps send, he realizes the colossal mistake he's made, and also realizes he's digging his own fucking grave. _wait nvm i misunderstood._

 _Waffles and fries_ , Connor writes back, _but now I think maybe your subject is like 500 times more interesting._

 _this is a GROUP text dumbass he literally meant like u guys bc it's to both of u_ , Dylan sends, and then in another message, _but YO what do u mean together like r u TOGETHER??? davo said u left together last nite and benn was holding ur hand_

 _ok but where were U last night???? u left way way before midnight??_ It's weak, Tyler knows, but he's desperate to change the topic.

 _not that its any of ur business but i was blowing my bf in the backseat of his car (sorry davo)_ , Dylan sends back quick with a string of emojis that seem vaguely inappropriate when Tyler looks at them all together. 

_TMI_ , is all Connor has to add. 

_ok i def misunderstood. sorry, we’ll meet u in an hour??_ Tyler isn't sure he's ever felt more bad than this, in _so_ many ways. 

_ok cool cool cant wait to see u!! also btw i’m not gonna forget u didn't answer my important q and u said “we” so make sure u bring lots of details &explanation w/ u when u show up, kisses!!!! _

Dylan is a fucking asshole.

Jamie comes back in the room with his towel hanging over a shoulder and wearing a t-shirt of Tyler's that is way, _way_ too tight across the chest, and Tyler groans and falls back onto the bed with his hand over his eyes. “So I have good news, and I also have bad news,” Tyler says. 

Jamie laughs. “Okay. I was only in there for like fifteen minutes.”

“The _good_ news is, we are going to meet the twins from The Shining for brunch.”

Jamie frowns for a split second before he gets who Tyler’s talking about, and he laughs again. “Who do you mean, Davo and Stromer?” 

“One and the same,” Tyler says. “And the _bad_ news,” Tyler passes Jamie his phone, “is that we have one hour to figure out what I actually meant to say when I asked how they knew we were together?”

Jamie freezes for a second. “I was only in there for _fifteen_ minutes,” he says as he scrolls through the messages and rolls his eyes. “Oh my god, what is the matter with you?”

“ _Everything_ ,” Tyler moans. 

“You're a fucking idiot,” Jamie says.

“I know,” Tyler says miserably.

“I mean, can't we just. Tell them?” Jamie shrugs like this is no big deal, and honestly Tyler’s a little offended. “Why do we need a story?”

“What, you mean like...tell them?” Tyler makes a face and pushes himself up on his elbows. “Like the truth?”

Jamie is typing something on his phone. “I mean, they’re our friends, right?” He looks up at Tyler. “Let’s just tell them.” He looks back at his phone and types, then he pauses and types again, over and over until finally he says, “Okay, I'm sending this.”

“Let me see it first,” Tyler says as Jamie taps send.

“Um, no, I think you've done enough,” Jamie says.

Tyler flips him off with one hand while he's opening Jamie's message with his other hand. _Sorry, Tyler’s a fucking idiot,_ it says, and Tyler rolls his eyes. _Looking forward to brunch, congrats on the action to Strome, and to answer the big question, yes we are. ☺️_

“That emoji, though,” Tyler says, laughing. 

Jamie smiles. “It's how I feel!” he says. “Have you brushed your teeth yet?”

Tyler's eyes go wide and he shakes his head. “I—no. You were in there, I—do you want me to now?”

“It only takes like ten minutes to get there,” Jamie says. “We have time.”

“Okay,” Tyler says dumbly, and he gets out of bed and goes into the bathroom and closes the door. He stands at the sink trying to figure out how to brush his teeth for about a hundred years, and then he splashes water on his face and gets his toothbrush. He brushes his teeth twice and then uses some mouthwash for good measure, and he looks at his reflection and tries to memorize this moment, the moment before everything changes forever. “It's fine,” he whispers to himself. “This is fine.”

Jamie is sitting on the end of Tyler’s bed with his hands laced together in his lap, and when Tyler steps back into the room he looks up and smiles. “Sorry,” Tyler says.

“That's alright.” 

Tyler walks over and sits down next to him, curling his toes into the carpet. “I'm not gonna lie,” he says, “this is fucking awkward.”

“It's a little awkward,” Jamie says quietly. Jamie says everything quietly, but Tyler feels like he says things differently when he's saying them to Tyler. “I kinda like it.”

“Of course you do,” Tyler laughs. He looks up at Jamie, who is impossibly handsome from such a close distance. 

“Okay, I'm just gonna,” Jamie says, and he reaches over and takes Tyler's hand. “This is okay, right?”

Tyler watches as Jamie fits his fingers in with Tyler’s, slow and careful. Tyler notices too quickly how big Jamie’s hands are, how much bigger they are than Tyler’s own hands. This is fine. “Yep,” he says. “This is good.” 

Jamie keeps opening his mouth like he’s going to say something but changes his mind, and then changes his mind back. Tyler holds his breath and waits and Jamie just ducks his head and laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. His palm is hot against Tyler’s palm and then Jamie says, “I can’t, this is so—”

So Tyler decides to just take matters into his own hands, because he’s waited too fucking long already and no matter who makes the first move, it’s going to be awkward and embarrassing and Tyler’s not even sure he’s going to be any _good_ at it, with Jamie. 

“You’re thinking too much,” Jamie whispers, laughing a little. “Kinda scary.”

Tyler lets go of his hand and grabs Jamie’s face with both hands, pushing himself into Jamie’s space and kissing him, tentative and a little too cautious. Jamie hums against Tyler’s mouth and Tyler keeps kissing him while he climbs into Jamie’s lap, straddling his waist. Jamie leans back on his hands and he's strong enough to hold them both up and Tyler feels safe like this. He can feel all the nervous energy around them evaporate into the air, like smoke from a candle that’s just been blown out.

It’s easy, Tyler thinks as Jamie curls his hand around Tyler’s bicep. This is so fucking easy. “It’s not that scary,” Tyler whispers as he pulls back a little; Jamie opens his eyes at the same time Tyler does and Tyler feels like the wind’s been knocked out of him when Jamie smiles.

“Not even a little,” Jamie whispers back. He still has his hand around Tyler’s bicep and Tyler still has both hands on Jamie’s face. He presses his thumbs to Jamie’s cheekbones and it makes Jamie smile even bigger, and Tyler groans and hugs him tight around the neck. 

Jamie laughs loud and hugs Tyler back with both arms around his waist. Tyler has never felt safer in his entire life, and he never wants to let go. “I’ve never done this before, with...with guys,” Jamie whispers into the skin behind Tyler’s ear. “We should probably talk about that.”

“We can definitely talk about that,” Tyler whispers back. He cups the back of Jamie’s head with one hand and presses a kiss to Jamie’s temple. Jamie’s hair is still damp and when Tyler breathes in he can smell his own soap on Jamie’s skin, and he’s suddenly hit with this devastating wave of the _newness_ of everything. He’s known Jamie _forever_ , and Jamie’s stayed over a billion times, and he’s used Tyler’s shower stuff countless times before. But Tyler’s never been close enough like this to smell the way his own shower stuff smells on Jamie, and it’s stupid to notice at all but it’s very, very overwhelming anyway.

“Oh my god,” Tyler whispers, more to himself than to Jamie, and he presses his forehead to Jamie’s shoulder.

“If this was a mistake,” Jamie whispers back, tightening his grip around Tyler’s waist, “if you’re having second thoughts, Tyler, you’ve gotta tell me now.”

“That’s not it,” Tyler manages to whisper. “That’s never it.”

“Okay,” Jamie whispers back. “This is a lot,” he whispers a second later, and Tyler nods.

“Was this a mistake for you?” Tyler asks. He's afraid of all the ways Jamie could answer. “Because you have to tell me, too, if you—if it is.”

“No,” Jamie whispers. “Nothing with you is ever a mistake.”

+

When Jamie and Tyler get to the diner, Dylan and Connor are squeezed in together on one side of the booth. Dylan is talking low but it looks like he's telling a story and using his hands a lot, and Connor is watching him with his hands curled around a coffee mug and smiling like Dylan hung the fucking moon.

“Happy New Year, boys,” Tyler says as he slides into the booth across from them, and Dylan stops mid sentence and lights up like a fucking birthday cake. 

“Well, _hello_ ,” Dylan says. “Davo, look who it is.”

Connor laughs and looks back and forth between Tyler and Jamie. “How's it going, guys?” he says, grinning at Jamie.

Maybe it's the cold, but Jamie’s cheeks are flushed and he opens a menu. “Things are good! How's it going with you? No Mitch?”

“He had to work,” Dylan says, sticking out his bottom lip.

“We’re the consolation prize, I guess,” Connor says, rolling his eyes. 

“Excuse me, but you are _never_ the consolation prize,” Dylan says, and he grabs Connor’s head and kisses him quickly on the temple before letting go.

Connor looks down at his menu and closes his eyes for a long second.

“So,” Dylan says, turning to Jamie and Tyler and wasting absolutely no time at all, “care to elaborate on your text from—”

And at that exact moment, thank god, the waitress comes back to take drink orders. 

Dylan bites his lips and presses his knuckles to his mouth and stares at Tyler while Tyler hems and haws for a while, buying as much time as he possibly can to torture Dylan until Jamie orders them each a coffee and orange juice. “Oh my god,” Dylan exhales when she's out of earshot. 

“So, last night,” Connor says. “Everybody had a good time?”

“I mean, we all know _Stromer_ had a good time,” Jamie says pleasantly.

Connor laughs a little but it's more forced than before, and Dylan has the grace to blush a little. “Hey, don't laugh like I’m the only one who got laid last night,” he says, elbowing Connor in the ribs, and now Connor’s blushing.

“Shut the fuck up,” Connor mutters. 

“Wait wait wait,” Tyler says, “what? Who??”

“His name’s Ryyyan,” Dylan says, fluttering his eyelashes. “He's like, what is he, is he a fifth year senior?”

“He's a grad student, I think,” Connor says. He's studying his menu like the waitress is going to quiz him on it when she comes back.

“An older guy, McDavid, I'm _shocked_.” Tyler's kinda fucking with him but he's actually pretty impressed. 

“Look, when you can get it, you _get_ it,” Dylan says, throwing his arm around Connor, and Connor glances up at Tyler and then looks away even faster. “Nuge is a lucky fucker.” 

Connor makes a face. “It's just a stupid hookup, there's nothing behind it.”

Dylan rolls his eyes. “Please. You're hot, he's hot. It's more than a stupid _hookup_.” He raps his knuckles on the table three times and points at Tyler with the hand that isn't around Connor's shoulders. “Okay, I need details about you now,” he says, “I'm literally dying.”

“You're not _literally_ dying,” Tyler says. “That's not what literally means.”

“I don't give a fuck what it means, I'm a math major,” Dylan says, waving a hand at Tyler. “What _happened_ last night?”

“There's not much to tell,” Jamie says, glancing at Tyler. “It just kinda...happened.”

“Are you fucking with me?” Dylan asks, glaring at Tyler. “If this is a joke—”

“Dylan is a sucker for a good love story,” Connor says. “He _loves_ shit like this.”

“It’s not a joke,” Tyler says. “Swear to god.”

“We’re not fucking with you,” Jamie says seriously.

“I can’t believe you don’t have a cute story,” Dylan says. “Like, you just decided, oh, we’re gonna do this thing now, and that was it?”

Tyler shrugs. “Pretty much, actually, yeah.”

“I mean,” Jamie looks at him, “it was sweet, it’s not like it wasn't a big deal.”

“It was sweet, yeah,” Tyler says, smiling at him. “It’s still, like. I mean. Super new.”

“Super new,” Jamie echoes softly, a smile lighting up his whole face. Tyler’s not sure he’s ever seen him look this happy, and he feels lightheaded when he thinks it’s probably because of _him_.

“Oh my god,” Connor says, “you guys are _gross_.”

Jamie laughs a little and looks back at his menu, and the waitress thankfully comes back with their drinks. Jamie puts his hand on Tyler’s thigh under the table while Connor and Dylan are ordering, and Tyler is fully confident that he could die happy in this diner booth right now.

“You know what, I think it’s fucking great,” Dylan says when the waitress leaves, leaning on his elbows on the table. “Everything on earth is too fucking depressing. I love when two people figure their shit out.”

Tyler holds a fist across the table and Dylan knocks his knuckles against Tyler’s. “That’s the spirit,” Tyler says.

“Now we just need to find somebody for Davo,” Jamie says, raising his eyebrows at Connor.

“We don’t need to find anybody for Davo,” Connor says, shaking his head. “Davo is fine.”

“He’s gotta be an eleven, at _least_ ,” Dylan says like Connor hadn’t even said anything, resting his chin in his hand and looking over at Connor. “You think Nuge is an eleven?”

“You are fully obsessed with him, stop it,” he says, pushing at Dylan's shoulder and laughing.

“He’s got the most _impeccable_ eyebrows,” Dylan says to Jamie and Tyler, gesturing to his own eyebrows. “I mean, they’re flawless. Flawless. They could cut glass, they’re that sharp.”

“I need to meet this guy,” Tyler says.

“You all need to _stop_ ,” Connor says, “I’m serious.”

“I’m serious,” Dylan says in what Tyler assumes is meant to be a Connor impression. “You couldn’t possibly be less fun. Think of how cute your babies would be, you and Nuge.”

Connor sighs and shakes his head at the ceiling. “I’m for sure _not_ having babies with him.”

“You know what my New Year’s resolution is going to be?” Dylan’s turned his attention back to Tyler and Jamie. 

“Finding somebody for Davo?” Jamie guesses, grinning.

Dylan points at him. “ _Bingo_.”

“I’ll go out with him again,” Connor says. “Okay? I promise I’ll go out with him again.”

“See, look at that,” Dylan says. “Progress already, and January _just_ started.”

+

“So then I was like, it's fucking _Valentine's Day_ , and you know what he says?” Connor makes a dopey face that Tyler thinks is probably meant to be Mitch, and he continues, “Make sure you wear something pink!”

“Did you wear something pink?” Jamie asks. He's holding Tyler’s hand under the table, rubbing his thumb up and down the side of Tyler’s index finger, and Tyler fucking loves it. 

Connor glares at him. “Is that the point of this story, do you think?” he asks. 

“Mmm,” Jamie squints at him. “Probably not.” 

Tyler grins. “But you went!”

“Of course I went,” Connor mutters. “Dylan and Mitch wanted me to go, I fucking went.”

“They just want you to be happy,” Jamie says. “It's kinda sweet.”

“It was a double date on _Valentine's Day_ ,” Connor says pointedly. “And, like, maybe I'm happy already, what if I'm happy the way things are?”

“Okay, what if, but.” Tyler laughs a little. “Like...you're not.” The waiter shows up with their pizza, and Connor sighs. Connor is refusing to eat in the cafeteria because he might run into Nuge, so instead they've gone out for pizza.

“I'm not _not_ happy,” Connor says when the waiter’s gone. 

Tyler puts a piece of pizza on Jamie’s plate and Jamie smiles big at him. “Thanks, babe!” he says. This is a thing he’s doing now, calling Tyler _babe_ , and it gives Tyler chills every time he does it. Tyler fucking loves this, too.

“It's kinda crazy to keep your life on hold for him,” Tyler says softly. Connor looks up and meets his eyes. “I mean. You know that.”

“Did you have a good time?” Jamie is watching Connor, and Connor looks at him like he's surprised Jamie's still listening. “What? You hooked up on New Year’s, it's not like he's just some random guy.”

“It was fine,” Connor shrugs, picking pepperoni off his pizza. “I dunno, I mean, he's really nice. Good personality, kinda dry sense of humor. Kinda quiet, but he’s super nice.”

Jamie looks at Tyler, Tyler looks at Jamie, and Tyler feels like he's going to start laughing when Connor sighs. “Quiet people can recognize other quiet people,” Connor says. “I'm just saying he's quiet, too.”

“But he's a nice guy,” Jamie says. He takes a pepperoni off Connor’s plate. “I like nice, that's a good quality.”

“What, a nice guy??” Connor is nodding like what Jamie is saying makes sense, but Tyler makes a face. “That's like, standard relationship stuff. A _nice_ guy??”

“Nice isn't standard,” Jamie shakes his head. “It's tough to find an actual _nice_ person.”

Tyler stares at him. “You're so full of shit.”

Jamie gestures across the table. “Connor’s an actual nice person. It's rare, it's a good quality to have and a good one to find, that's all I'm saying.”

Connor’s cheeks go a little pink and he smiles a little at Jamie. “Thanks, man.”

“What about me??” Tyler asks. “I'm a nice person.”

“You did _just_ tell your boyfriend he's full of shit,” Connor points out, like a helpful and awful person. Tyler flips him off while he keeps watching Jamie, waiting for confirmation, and Connor laughs.

“You're absolutely a nice person,” Jamie says, and even though Tyler did tell him he’s full of shit, it sounds like Jamie means it. “Most of the time.” He smiles sweetly and Tyler can’t help but laugh.

+

Dylan has a late class on Thursdays, so Tyler isn't expecting him to show up at dinner until he drops his tray on the table and pushes gently at Connor’s shoulder. “Move over, please,” he says softly. He has a hat pulled down low over his eyes, and his voice is a little hoarse.

Tyler exchanges a look with Jamie. 

Connor moves over. 

“Everything okay?” Connor finally asks. “I thought you had class tonight?”

“I'm fine,” Dylan says, in a way that means he's decidedly _not_ fine. “Can I have a napkin, please?” 

Connor hands him one. “Please tell me that is not your dinner,” he says to Dylan’s tray. He has a banana, a carton of chocolate milk, and a bowl of Lucky Charms.

“Today I found out that my fucking boyfriend, who I love _dearly_ ,” Dylan says as he pours the chocolate milk on his cereal, “applied for a year-long oceanography internship in _Alaska_. So yes, this absolutely _is_ my dinner.” 

“Good for him,” Jamie says, in the most misguided way he could possibly say anything, so Tyler has no choice but to kick him hard under the table. “Ow,” Jamie says, scowling at Tyler.

Connor peels the banana and pushes Dylan's tray away from him. “Will you eat this first, please, you're making my teeth spontaneously rot out of my head.” He glances at Tyler and then back at Dylan. “Mitch applied for an internship?”

“In fucking _Alaska_ ,” Dylan hisses at Connor, and he jabs a finger at Jamie. “And _don't_ say good for him. Who the fuck goes to fucking Alaska to study the fucking ocean without telling anybody they're going to go to fucking Alaska to study the fucking ocean?” He grabs the banana from Connor and eats it in the angriest way Tyler’s ever seen anyone eat a banana. 

“Maybe he won't get it,” Tyler says.

“It doesn't matter whether or not he gets it!” Dylan says. “I'm not mad that he wants it, I'm mad because he didn't tell me. He didn't even mention that he was thinking about applying, like. Who makes a decision like that without even mentioning it to their _boyfriend_? I mean, we _live_ together.” He finishes the banana and drops the peel on Connor's tray. “And of course he’ll get it, he's a fucking _genius_ who’s the best at everything he tries, plus he _deserves_ it.”

“He's just hurt,” Connor tells them later, as they walk across campus to Jamie’s car. Dylan had stormed off to the library when they’d all left the cafeteria, and Tyler kinda wants to go check on him. “He’ll be okay when he’s had some time to cool off.” 

“How badly do you want to kill him?” Tyler asks.

Connor doesn't answer right away. “I broke my hand fighting a kid who tripped Dylan in the hall when we were in high school,” he finally says, calmly, when they get back to where Jamie’s parked his car. “So I really don't want to talk about Mitch right now.”

“ _That_ sounds familiar,” Tyler says, giving Jamie a pointed look.

“I never broke my fucking _hand_ for you, jackass,” Jamie says, like that means he never beat anybody up in Tyler’s honor or anything.

“You know you can't kill Mitch,” Tyler says to Connor. “Right?”

“I'm not going to kill Mitch,” Connor sighs. “But all he had to do is keep Dylan happy. Like, that's all he had to do.”

“Couples fight,” Jamie says. “It's a big deal this time but couples fight all the time.”

“It's so fucking complicated when it's your best friend and your other best friend, though,” Connor says. “Nevermind all the other complicated shit on top of it.”

Tyler sends Connor home with Jamie and then he doubles back to the library. He goes up to the top floor and finds Dylan exactly where he'd expected to find him, sitting at the corner desk with his headphones on and his music loud enough for Tyler to hear.

Tyler taps his shoulder and Dylan jumps a little and looks up at him. “Just me,” Tyler says, holding up both hands, as Dylan hangs his headphones around his neck. “Sorry.”

“Are you checking up on me?” Dylan's turned his hat around backwards and Tyler can see now that his eyes are rimmed in red and a little bloodshot. 

“Just wanted to make sure you're okay,” Tyler says. He sits down at the desk next to him. “Or, like. I don't know.”

“I'm _not_ okay,” Dylan says quietly. “It's a fucking shitty thing he did, I don't think I'm being ridiculous by being _mad_ about that for a while.”

Tyler shakes his head. “You're not.”

“All he had to do was say ‘hey, Dyls, I know this would really suck but I really think I want to apply for this,’ and I would've been like, ‘you know, it _does_ suck, but go for it.’”

“You wouldn't have said that,” Tyler says. 

Dylan glares at him. “Yes. I would have. He should've _told_ me, I wouldn't be this pissed if I hadn't been _blindsided_.” 

Tyler has no idea what to say.

“The thing that sucks is that I _really_ hope he gets it,” Dylan says, and his voice breaks. “Because even though I'm pissed at him right now, he's fucking smart as hell and he deserves it, even if it would completely destroy me.” 

“It wouldn't—” Tyler shakes his head. 

“It would _completely_ destroy me,” Dylan says. His eyes fill with tears and Tyler can see the muscles clenching in his jaw. Tyler hears Dylan's phone vibrate on the desk and Dylan rolls his eyes and turns it, screen down, onto the desk. “I know it's not the end of the world to break up with somebody. I know that. But he's maybe the best thing that's ever happened to me.”

“So far,” Tyler says quietly, as Dylan swipes a hand under his eyes. “Try to remember that. He's the best thing that's happened to you so far.”

Dylan blinks quickly and nods. “He applied to like, a hundred schools,” he says after a minute. “He got into everywhere he applied and he was like, this close to going to this amazing school in Tennessee. But this was my top choice, so I was staying here, and then at the last minute he decided to stay here, too.” Dylan pauses for a long time, and Tyler holds his breath. “Like, I guess I thought that was it, you know?” Dylan finally continues, his voice as soft as a whisper. “I thought...I guess I never thought he might have bigger dreams than this. I thought...I don't know what I thought.”

Dylan is working his jaw muscles again, and Tyler looks down at his hands. 

“He said to me tonight, if you want me to stay you need to tell me that, and like. I can't tell him that,” Dylan continues softly, shaking his head. “I want to be fucking selfish and tell him to stay but I don't want him to give this up if he gets it. He deserves this more than anybody else.” Dylan sighs and takes his hat off, raking his fingers through his hair. “I feel like I've just been waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know? Like, somebody like me doesn't just land somebody like him and then live happily ever after.” 

“Don't undersell yourself like that,” Tyler says. “And yeah, long distance is hard, but _tons_ of people do it.”

“It's not for us, Tyler,” Dylan says quietly. “Like, we've talked it to fucking death before. I know lots of people do long distance, but it's just not for us.” He sighs and then looks up at Tyler. “You must think I'm the shittiest boyfriend.”

“I think you know what you're capable of more than I know what you're capable of,” Tyler says honestly. “So what I think doesn't really matter, but I don't think you're a shitty boyfriend.”

“Thank you,” Dylan smiles a little, but it doesn't even come close to looking like he means it. Tyler really wants to hug him. “Will you tell Jamie I'm sorry for being a dick?”

“Ah, he deserves it sometimes,” Tyler says, “but yeah, I'll let him know.”

Tyler walks Dylan home and makes sure he goes inside, and then he gets an Uber back to his own apartment. It's just after midnight when he gets home and Jamie's car is parked in the visitor spot out front. Tyler smiles the whole way up the stairs and when he goes inside, Jamie is asleep on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest, the TV on mute.

Tyler sits down on the edge of the coffee table and watches him, and then Jamie sighs and wrinkles his forehead before he opens his eyes. Tyler smiles as Jamie focuses on him, and then Jamie smiles sleepily and says, “Heyyy.”

“Did you break into my apartment?” Tyler asks. “I thought you were going home.”

“Nah, I wanted to wait for you.” Jamie yawns. “Spezza was here. What time is it?”

“Little after midnight,” Tyler says. He reaches for Jamie’s hand. “Come to bed, I’m fucking exhausted.”

“Mmm, okay.” Jamie stands up, stretching his arms over his head as Tyler turns the TV off. Tyler tosses the remote onto the coffee table and when he turns back to Jamie, Jamie grabs him and hugs him tight.

Tyler lets out a breath he didn't know he’d been holding and he hugs Jamie back, gripping fistfuls of Jamie’s t-shirt in both hands. “Everything okay?” Jamie whispers against the skin behind Tyler’s ear.

Tyler nods. “It is now,” he whispers back, and he doesn’t say anything else and Jamie doesn’t let go.

+

In April, Mitch gets the internship.

Dylan actually cries when he tells them at Jamie’s house. 

“He accepted it today,” Dylan says miserably, when Jamie’s brought out a box of tissues from the bathroom. “I’m really happy he got it but I’m also so fucking _sad_.” He’s sandwiched in between Tyler and Connor on the couch. Connor has his hand on Dylan’s shoulder and Tyler’s honestly not sure Connor is breathing.

“Good for him,” Jamie says quietly, “but that really sucks.”

“I know,” Dylan says. He covers his face with both hands and groans. “It’s killing me to be happy for him. I'm like, literally dying inside.”

Tyler doesn't correct him, because he figures that's probably how it really feels. 

“Fuck,” Connor exhales, barely audible.

“I _know_ ,” Dylan says. “It fucking figures that he’s the one who'd have dreams this big, because he's too fucking good for them not to come true.”

+

For weeks after that night, Tyler only sees Dylan on campus, mostly in class. He doesn't really say much to Tyler and he looks even more exhausted than he normally does, and after he only sees Dylan twice all week, Tyler finally asks Connor what's going on.

“Stromer says they came to a ‘mutual decision,’” he says, using air quotes, “to call it quits when Mitch leaves. They're just trying to make the most of it until then.” Connor sighs and shakes his head. He looks exhausted too, Tyler thinks. “Sometimes Dylan can get so focused on one thing that he forgets to look at the bigger picture. I don’t know what’ll happen when Mitch leaves.”

The next week, Tyler shoves his books in his bag as soon as class ends and catches Dylan on his way out the door. “Hey,” Tyler says, and Dylan smiles at him but it's not one that makes it to his eyes. Tyler's heart aches for him. 

“Hi,” Dylan says. “I'm kinda on my way somewhere.”

“I know,” Tyler says.

“I'm sorry,” Dylan says quietly. “I’m just trying to get through the next couple months, you know? I’m sorry.”

“He just loves so _hard_ ,” Connor tells Tyler later. It's still light out when they meet for dinner, so they're eating outside even though it's not quite warm enough yet. Jamie has a late study session so it's just him and Connor tonight, but Connor is just picking at the crust of his sandwich. “Like two hundred percent. Mitch does, too, so it's twice as fucking bad now that they’re both crashing.”

Dylan puts a video up on Snapchat that night of him and Mitch messing around with the puppy filter. They're giggling and clumsy-cute while they try to get the filter to turn both of them to turn into puppies at the same time, and Tyler feels unbearably sad. 

“Life is kinda unfair sometimes,” he says to Jamie, who’s curled up in bed next to Tyler. Jamie says he's sleeping over so he can get to his eight o’clock class but Tyler knows he's really staying over so he can suck slow bruises into the soft spots on Tyler's collarbone after they turn the lights out. Tyler is already planning to try and convince him to skip his eight o’clock class.

“Maybe there’s something better out there for both of them,” Jamie says thoughtfully. “You know?”

Tyler watches their Snapchat video one more time and sends a message to them both - _this is maybe the cutest shit ive ever seen??_ \- and tosses his phone on the table next to the bed. “Maybe,” he says, sitting up against the headboard. “It still seems unfair.”

“I think you might be an empath,” Jamie says, sitting up and kissing Tyler’s shoulder.

“What is that, like a superhero?” Tyler raises his eyebrows and grins.

“Obviously,” Jamie whispers, shaking his head. “No, like. You feel everything. Super in tune with other people’s emotions. That sort of thing.”

“I dunno, that sounds an awful lot like a superhero.” Tyler looks at him. “Like psychic powers, almost.” He puffs up his chest and says, in a deep voice, “Empath Man.”

“That,” Jamie says, kissing Tyler quickly, “is the shittiest superhero name I’ve ever heard.”

+

Tyler starts seeing Dylan even less as it gets closer to the end of the school year. Dylan doesn't hang around after class, he doesn’t show up on the top floor of the library, and when Tyler goes to play street hockey, Dylan’s car is never there even though they’re still playing out front of his parents’ house.

Dylan’s brother Ryan plays with them more often than he used to, and Connor’s first pick is somebody different every time they pick teams. “I fucking miss that little shit,” Jamie says one afternoon, while he’s walking with Tyler back to his car. “Like.”

Tyler doesn’t know what to say.

+

Mitch leaves for Alaska on a Sunday afternoon the weekend after finals.

 _Sorry boys, can’t play this week - busy_ , Connor texts to Tyler and Jamie on Monday morning. 

“What’s that about, you think?” Jamie says, frowning at his phone. 

“I meeean,” Tyler says. “Isn't it obvious?”

Tyler feels extra weird going to Dylan’s place without Dylan or Connor there, so he spends the next few days at Jamie’s place, letting Jamie shoot him about a zillion times in Call of Duty. It rains most of the days anyway.

“How are you _this_ bad at video games?” Tyler finally says, exasperated, but Jamie tosses his controller aside and pins Tyler down on the couch by both wrists. 

“It's all part of my master plan,” Jamie says while Tyler holds his breath, and Jamie kisses him until his lips are swollen. 

“You could just kiss me instead of killing me in a video game,” Tyler whispers against Jamie’s mouth, and it makes Jamie laugh. 

“It's more fun when you're frustrated,” Jamie whispers back, and he bites at Tyler’s bottom lip.

Tyler decides right then that Jamie can be as shitty as he wants at video games, if this is how he makes up for it.

On the next Monday, Connor texts them again. _Hockey today? Supposed to be a scorcher._

Tyler sends back two thumbs up and things feel like they might be back to normal until he and Jamie get to Dylan’s and Connor is setting up the nets by himself. Dylan’s car is in the driveway this time but Connor just shrugs. “He’s fine,” he says without being asked. “I think he just needs a little more time.”

Dylan doesn’t show up at their games again until one day in July. 

It’s so hot out that Tyler can barely breathe without sweating, and he pulls his shirt off as they’re walking down the block towards Dylan’s house. “Would you put that back on,” Jamie groans. “There are families living in this neighborhood.”

Tyler rolls his eyes. “Jesus,” he says, “it is one hundred million degrees out.” He shoves Jamie towards the street but Jamie barely even stumbles, so instead Tyler grabs Jamie's hand and links their fingers together. “You’re an embarrassing robot.”

“ _Great_ comeback,” Jamie says, deadpan, and they round the corner to find Connor laughing while Dylan untangles himself from the net he’s somehow gotten himself tangled into.

“I can’t help being this fucking attractive, you should be thankful that all this belongs to you now,” Tyler says to Jamie, tossing his t-shirt over his shoulder and swinging their hands as they walk up the driveway. “Yo!”

“—a fucking _booby_ trap, I hate this fucking net,” Dylan is grumbling, but he’s laughing a little, too, and Tyler’s heart feels full. Dylan looks up at them and he has dark circles under his eyes but he looks happy, for the most part, and when he smiles it looks like clouds breaking to let the sun shine through. “Hey, boys.”

It’s July, and Tyler hasn’t seen him for real in like four months, and he didn’t know when he started to miss Dylan’s company like this but it hits him square in the chest when he realizes it. 

Jamie claps him on the shoulder. “Good to see you, bud,” he says, and he takes over fixing the net. When they pick teams, Tyler thinks Connor might burst from happiness when he gets to pick Dylan first.

Tyler’s team dominates the game and they win, six to two. Dylan drops his stick with a clatter in the street and flips them off with both hands. “Unsportsmanlike conduct,” Ryan calls out as he pulls off his gloves in front of the net. 

“Fuck you and your unsportsmanlike conduct!” Dylan yells, just like old times, and Connor laughs.

+

After everybody goes home, Connor drags Dylan over to Jamie’s for a bonfire. Dylan looks exhausted but he doesn't complain about being there, and Connor tugs him down to share a camp chair while Jamie gets the fire going. The chair is big enough for both of them to fit but somehow Dylan ends up half in Connor’s lap anyway, his arm hooked around Connor’s neck and his cheek resting on top of Connor’s head. He’s too tall for it to possibly be comfortable at all, but when he closes his eyes he looks happy. Connor has his arms loose around Dylan’s waist and locks eyes with Tyler, and Tyler shivers and smiles.

“You know what'd be good,” Dylan says, opening his eyes. “S’mores. Do you have stuff for s’mores?”

Jamie only eats like, broccoli and protein powder, so Tyler says, “I’ll run out to get stuff for them, you just want s'mores?”

“Maybe some chips and salsa, too,” Connor says. 

“I'll come with,” Dylan says. He hesitates for a second before untangling himself from Connor, and he kisses the top of Connor’s head before he stands up. Dylan bends down to grab his hoodie off the ground and Connor looks up at Tyler with big eyes, his lips pressed together like he's on an episode of The Office.

“Okay,” Tyler says, grinning. “Benn, you want anything? Like, dried banana chips or kale or something?”

Jamie flips him off from his spot next to the fire. “I'll eat a s’more, fuck off,” he says, but he's smiling. 

Tyler takes Jamie’s keys and doesn't say anything until after they've backed out of the driveway. “It’s good to have you back, bud,” he says, awkwardly.

Dylan is looking out the window. “Good to be back,” he says. “I missed you guys, this is nice.”

“It is, yeah,” Tyler says. He slows down at a yellow light and taps on the steering wheel. “So, um.”

“I'm honestly okay,” Dylan says. Tyler can tell he's looking at him, out of the corner of his eye, but he doesn't look back. “It just sucked, that's all. Fucking sucked. Just needed some time to breathe or whatever, figure out how to just be me. But I'm fine. I'm okay.”

Tyler glances over at him and Dylan looks away, out the windshield. “Light’s green,” he says softly.

Tyler drives.

They park under a broken streetlight at Target. “Why the fuck did you pick here,” Dylan says. “We’ll be here forever.”

“Where are you living next year?” Tyler asks out of the blue. 

Dylan looks at him. “With my parents,” he says simply. His words are clipped, guarded, and Tyler worries that maybe he struck a nerve he wasn't aiming for.

“You know, Spezza graduated,” Tyler says. “So I need a new roommate. And I was thinking. If you need a place to stay, I mean, other than at your parents place, maybe just move in with me.”

“What about Jamie?” Dylan watches him.

“We've got a good arrangement right now,” Tyler says. 

Dylan squints at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Tyler says. “My lease isn't up until next spring, so.”

Dylan rolls his eyes. “Cool arrangement.”

“No, but seriously,” Tyler says. “I like you. You're feisty and weird and fun to spend time with.” 

“I can be kinda moody,” Dylan says slowly. 

“Yeah, well, no shit, and honestly so can I.” Tyler opens the door. “Come on, say yes and we can go buy a shower curtain or something.”

Dylan shakes his head. “You're crazy.”

“Dylan, I need a fucking roommate, seriously,” Tyler says. He’ll find somebody else if he absolutely has to, but he doesn't want to. “You're my number one pick.”

“It sounds like I'm actually your number two pick,” Dylan says as he gets out of the car. 

“That's just a technicality,” Tyler waves a hand. “You'd be way more fun to live with anyway, Jamie goes to bed at like seven at night.”

Dylan doesn't say anything else until they get inside,and when Tyler's getting a cart, Dylan just says, “Okay.”

“Really?” Tyler feels giddy. 

Dylan nods. “Yeah.” He smiles for real, and Tyler grins back.

After they get all the ingredients for s’mores, and after Dylan spends way too long deciding on chips and salsa for Connor, they go pick out a shower curtain. It has cartoon dogs all over it. 

“Our first purchase together,” Tyler says, pressing a hand to his chest. 

“Super symbolic,” Dylan says, but he's smiling as he tosses it into the cart. 

“Connor’s gonna be so jealous,” Tyler says. Dylan’s smile gets softer when Tyler says Connor’s name, and he runs a hand over some bath towels as Tyler pushes the cart. Tyler watches him. “You've gotta tell him tonight.”

“He’ll be relieved,” Dylan finally says. “He’s kinda. I think I might’ve scared him, he’s a worrier.”

“He’s a good guy,” Tyler says. He rests his elbows on the handle of the cart as he pushes it, slow, past the greeting cards.

“He’s the best,” Dylan says. He won’t look at Tyler. “Hey, um, I need to grab...something.” The tips of his ears are red, and he walks away quickly and disappears down the aisle with all the soap, leaving Tyler alone with the cart.

Tyler goes after him and Dylan is chewing his thumbnail and studying boxes of bar soap. “You needed soap?” he asks, confused. “Like...right now?” 

Dylan doesn’t answer right away. “How soon is _too_ soon to start, like.” Dylan looks at him, and his eyes are a little manic. “Feeling...something.” He bites his bottom lip and winces a little. “About...someone. New. After a breakup.”

“Oh my god,” Tyler says quietly.

“It’s not _you_ ,” Dylan says, too quick.

“ _Who_?” Tyler whispers. 

“I _cannot_ tell you,” Dylan shakes his head, “this was _stupid_. Forget it.” He grabs a box of bar soap. “Come on.”

Tyler turns the cart to block Dylan in and pokes at his chest. “You have to tell me,” he says, “you cannot drop that bomb and then just not tell me who!”

“It was hypothetical!” Dylan hisses back, and he turns and walks down the other end of the aisle and around the corner. 

Tyler spins the cart back around and almost knocks over a guy who seems to be legitimately looking for soap, and by the time he apologizes and catches up with Dylan, they’re almost to the aisle with all the dog toys at the corner of the store. “You have the longest fucking stride I’ve ever seen,” Tyler says, and he’s a little ashamed of how breathless he is.

“Just don’t say anything, okay?” Dylan says suddenly, and he looks so tired. “It’s Connor. Obviously. It's obviously Connor.”

+

Tyler is a good friend.

He’s a good fucking friend, and part of being a good fucking friend is keeping all the stupid and frustrating secrets people trust him with. 

But now, he’s in possession of two secrets that aren’t his, and he knows exactly what to do about both of them, but he can’t actually do _anything_ about either of them.

Dylan doesn’t say anything the whole drive back until they turn onto Jamie’s street. “I swear it didn’t realize it until after Mitch left.” His shoulders are slumped a little and he looks out his window. 

“I won’t tell him,” Tyler says. He lets up on the gas so they slow down, because they're close to Jamie’s now but he doesn’t want to rush anything.

“I don't know what I’d do if I lost him,” Dylan says quietly. Tyler is almost afraid to breathe. “I don’t want to scare him off.”

 _You won’t scare him off!_ Tyler yells at Dylan inside his head.

“I mean, I’ll figure something out, but if this is just what I have to do.” Dylan pauses and Tyler can see Jamie’s mailbox up ahead. “I don’t know. I keep thinking, like, it's only really been a couple months, but maybe I've been kinda going through this breakup since February, you know? Maybe it's been enough time.”

“You can't help what you feel, Stromer,” Tyler says carefully. He turns into Jamie’s driveway. “If you feel something, you feel something.”

“It can't be that simple, though,” Dylan shakes his head. 

“I dunno, man. Sometimes it is.” Tyler parks in front of the garage and looks over at him. 

“We need to stop talking about this,” Dylan says, “but. Thank you. Please don't say anything. Not to Jamie, not to anybody.”

Tyler crosses an x over his heart with his finger. “Secret’s safe with me, bud.”

+

There’s music playing from out back when Tyler opens the sliding glass door to the backyard, and Jamie and Connor are sitting in the grass passing a joint back and forth, fire blazing in front of them.

Dylan stops short and drops his bags in the grass. “Connor Mc _David_ ,” he says, “are you smoking _weed_?”

Connor is giggly and he reaches for Dylan. “Yesss,” he says, “come here.” Dylan leaves the bags in the grass and goes over to sit in Connor’s chair. Connor moves to sit back between Dylan’s knees, and he passes the blunt up to him. 

Tyler doesn't think he's ever seen Connor smoke before, in all the nights they’ve spent around campfires, and he thinks it might be the best thing he's ever seen. “How'd you pull this off?” he asks Jamie quietly, who smiles up at him while he sits down. 

“Just told him he needed to wind down,” Jamie says. He's relaxed already, but he pulls out another joint to share with Tyler. 

They sit like that for a while, coupled off in front of the fire, not saying anything. Jamie lays down on his back after a while and Tyler looks back at him over his shoulder. Jamie runs his fingertips over Tyler’s hand, tracing circles around his knuckles. All Tyler can hear is the crackling of the fire, and it's nice. 

“Guess what,” Dylan says, breaking the silence. Connor looks up at him, his hands curled around Dylan’s ankles. “Me and Segs are gonna be roommates.”

Connor’s eyes light up and he looks at Tyler. “No way,” he says. 

Tyler nods. “It's true, he's mine now.”

Jamie laughs. “Good luck to you, Stromer, he's a fucking slob.”

Tyler glares at him, affronted, and Dylan laughs and laughs. “No shit, we bought a shower curtain at Target, he doesn't even have one,” and Tyler has to glare at him, too.

“Excuse you, but I don’t just shower in an open shower like an animal,” Tyler says.

“You have a shower curtain liner without the curtain,” Jamie giggles. 

“Fuck you, a liner does the same goddamn thing for like a quarter of the cost,” Tyler says. He can't believe everyone is ganging up on him. “We’re breaking up,” he says as Jamie giggles and hugs him around the waist. “Who wants a fucking s’more?”

Dylan starts to get up but he looks physically pained to have to move away from Connor, so Tyler says, “I've got it, you fucking traitor,” he says, and Connor kicks at Tyler and completely misses. 

“Please be nice to him,” Connor says. 

Tyler doesn't know how it's possible for someone to get more polite when he's high, but that's exactly what happens to Connor. 

“Can you burn mine?” Jamie asks. “Like, totally charred.”

Tyler rips open the first bag and drops half the marshmallows on the ground. “I was just opening the ingredients, I wasn't offering my services,” he says. “And a burnt marshmallow is fucking disgusting.”

Dylan has his face tilted up to the sky and he blows out a mouthful of smoke. Connor has his head resting on Dylan’s knee, watching him. “I mean, you literally offered,” Dylan says to the sky. “Literally, meaning in a literal manner.”

“Yeah, you said, ‘who wants a fucking s’more,’” Connor adds. 

“Yep.” Dylan taps Connor on the forehead and points to Tyler. “Nailed it.”

Tyler rolls his eyes. “The two of you together is, like, the fucking worst combo.”

“I dunno,” Dylan says, “I think it might be the best.”

“It's definitely the best,” Connor says. He reaches up and bumps fists with Dylan. Tyler hates them, in the way that means he really loves them, and then suddenly Tyler feels like he’s going to explode.

“I need sticks,” Tyler says. “Jamie. I need sticks for the marshmallows.” Jamie sighs and sits up. “Come help me.” 

Jamie pushes himself up and they head off towards the trees at the back of the yard, and when they’re far enough away Tyler grabs Jamie’s elbow and says, “Listen, I need to tell you something that I _can’t_ tell you, so I need you to guess what I need to tell you so I can tell you without _telling_ you.”

Jamie looks at him, frowning. “I thought you needed sticks.”

Tyler rolls his eyes. “I _do_. Find sticks, but while you do that I also need you to tell me what I’m thinking.”

Jamie sighs like Tyler’s asking him to lasso the moon or something. “Can’t _you_ just tell me?” He picks up a long stick. 

“No,” Tyler says. “Would it help if I did charades?”

Jamie picks up another stick. “I’m starting to think you have a crush on McDavid,” he says. He pushes some leaves around with his foot and picks up another stick. “Do you have a crush on McDavid? How many of these do you need?”

“ _Strome_ has a crush on McDavid,” Tyler hisses, even though he has his teeth clenched together to keep it inside, and he claps both hands over his mouth. “What? Oh my god.”

Jamie looks up at him. “What?”

“You did this!” Tyler whispers through his hands. He feels absolutely crazy. 

“I didn’t do anything!” Jamie whispers back. “What did you just say?”

Tyler just shakes his head, eyes wide.

“Tyler,” Jamie whispers. “We _have_ to set them up now.”

Tyler pulls his hands away from his mouth and cups Jamie’s cheeks with them. “ _This_ is why I love you.”

+

In September, after school starts back up, Connor goes on an actual date with Ryan.

“This was your idea in the first place,” Tyler says to Dylan when they meet up with Jamie for dinner. “You kept saying he’s an eleven.”

Dylan groans, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes. “That was _before_ everything went to shit,” he says. “And it was Mitch’s idea anyway, I didn’t come up with it. I was just asking if people thought he _was_ an eleven.”

“I want to meet him,” Jamie says. 

Dylan glares at him. “You’re not helping.”

Jamie sighs and Tyler puts his hand on Jamie’s knee under the table. “It sounds to me like you need to make a big romantic gesture, then,” Jamie says casually, glancing at Tyler and smiling. “Stand on a table in a crowded room and tell him how you feel or something.”

Dylan’s ears turn red at the mere mention of it, and Tyler grins. “That’s a fucking beautiful idea,” Tyler says. “Who has paper? Let’s get this plan moving.”

“Would you shut up,” Dylan says, pressing his thumb against the table. “Like, I know this is on me, I should’ve said something, it just sucks. It’s depressing.”

“Eh, it’s just one date,” Tyler shrugs. “Maybe it won’t turn into anything.”

The next morning, Connor meets them for breakfast before class, and Tyler can’t be sure but if he had to give it a name, he’d say that Connor is glowing.

“Morning, boys,” Connor says, nudging Dylan’s shoulder with his tray. Dylan moves over and Connor sits down next to him. “What’s up?”

Dylan stirs his coffee and watches him, his chin resting in his hand. “It’s fucking seven in the morning,” he says. Dylan is the opposite of a morning person anyway, but he’s been extra sullen today and it’s making Tyler anxious. “You’re too _awake_ right now.”

“So? How was last night?” Jamie asks.

Connor ducks his head and focuses too much attention on opening a packet of jam. “It was good,” he says. 

Dylan drops his spoon on his tray. “You were wearing that shirt yesterday,” he says suddenly.

“It’s a fucking shirt, Dylan,” Connor says, quiet, but he sounds a little irritated.

“Did you—”

Connor glares at him. “This was your idea in the first place,” Connor says. “Fucking _stop_.”

“Oh my _god_ ,” Dylan says, shaking his head. “It wasn’t _my_ idea, it was _Mitch’s_ idea—”

“Oh my god, _whatever_ ,” Connor says. “ _You’re_ being an asshole.”

Dylan stares at him for what feels like forever, and Tyler clears his throat. “I should go,” Dylan says, reaching under the table for his bag. “Don’t want to be late.”

Connor rolls his eyes and stands up to let him out, and he trains his eyes on the ceiling as Dylan pulls his bag onto his shoulder and takes his tray. “See you,” Dylan says as he walks away, and Tyler watches him go but Dylan never looks back.

“So, last night,” Jamie is saying when Tyler turns his attention back to the table.

“You know what,” Tyler grabs his own bag and his tray, “I'm gonna go, too.” He leans over and kisses Jamie. “I want to hear all about this date, I just—”

Connor presses his lips together like he's pissed but Tyler can tell he isn't, not really. “Don’t make excuses for him,” Connor says. 

“I’m not making excuses for anybody,” Tyler says, pulling his backpack on. 

“Just, like.” Connor sighs and shakes his head. “Let me know if he's not okay or whatever.” He's trying to act like he doesn’t give a shit, but he’s really fucking bad at it.

Tyler leans on the table. “He _was_ being an asshole,” he says. “But.”

“It's cool,” Connor says, shaking his head. “I get it. Just go.”

Tyler drops off his tray and catches up with Dylan as he’s crossing the street. “Hey,” he says, a little out of breath.

Dylan’s jaw is set, and he keeps walking and doesn’t answer.

“So, it fucking blows when your best friend is dating somebody else,” Tyler continues. “Especially when you’re like.”

“I’m not like anything,” Dylan says. “It’s cool, him and Ryan. Whatever. It’s fine.”

“But it’s okay,” Tyler says carefully, “you know, if it’s not fine.”

“Nuge has always just been like, this guy he hooks up with sometimes,” Dylan says. “And he’s super nice, but he’s not—this was Mitch’s idea to set them up, before everything fell apart, and at first it was cool because Connor seemed to like him and now it’s like, Mitch is gone but his stupid fucking idea is still here and it’s ruining my life.”

“Do you think maybe you’re being a little,” Tyler starts, but he pauses and frowns at his feet as they’re walking.

“I’m not being dramatic,” Dylan says quietly. He tugs at the straps of his backpack and suddenly looks impossibly young. “Look, I know—I was being a dick, earlier. I know. I’m just. I had a rough night last night, I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“You’re always such a dick to the nicest people, too, what’s up with that?” Tyler says, smiling a little, and it actually makes Dylan smile a little, too. “You wanna talk about it?”

Dylan is quiet for a second and then he says, “Mitch started seeing this guy,” and Tyler looks over at him. “And like, it’s honestly _fine_. He called me last night to tell me because they wanted to put a selfie on fucking Instagram.” He looks at Tyler with this helpless look on his face. “Who does that? Like, just post the fucking selfie.”

“Jesus,” Tyler says softly. “He’s so goddamn thoughtful.” 

“I _know_ ,” Dylan says. “I’m so fucking happy for him, but it sucks so much more than I thought it was going to. And now, with Davo and…” He shakes his head. “It’s just turning me into a bigger asshole than normal, so.”

“I’m sorry,” Tyler says, and he’s not really apologizing for anything specific but he really means it. 

Dylan sighs and shakes his head. “It’s been a really shitty year, Segs.” They’re at the door to the math building, and Dylan stands in front of it, looking up to the roof, and he sighs.

“Lucky for you, it’s already September,” Tyler says, opening the door and waiting for Dylan to walk inside. “But I think you’ve still got plenty of time to turn things around.”

+

“Are we bad at matchmaking?” Jamie has his head in Tyler's lap, and Tyler is slowly dragging his fingers through Jamie’s hair, scratching slowly at his scalp. He didn’t put any products in it after showering, and Tyler has never felt anything so soft. “I mean, is there a trick to matchmaking that we don't know?”

“I don't think so?” Tyler says. “You should keep your hair like this all the time, it's so soft.”

“I will as long as you keep doing this with your hands,” Jamie says softly. His eyes are closed, and Tyler lightly touches his eyelashes. 

“Deal,” Tyler says softly. He’s desperately, hopelessly in love.

“We need to step up our game,” Jamie says. 

“It's almost Halloween,” Tyler says. “Fall is romantic. Maybe we should have a little party or something.”

+

_come over we want to carve pumpkins_ , is what Tyler sends to the group text.

 _With costumes?_ Connor writes back immediately.

 _What time? Should we bring anything?_ Jamie adds. 

From the couch, Dylan drops his phone on the floor with a thud. “They can't ever just say ‘okay, cool, be right over,’” he says. 

Tyler frowns at his screen. “Why the fuck would he wear a costume to carve pumpkins?” he asks. 

“Because he's an idiot,” Dylan says fondly. “Who uses punctuation _and_ capitalizes words in a text?” 

Tyler's phone lights up with a message from Dylan. _yes costumes & idk bring booze or weed??_

“Connor is _not_ going to bring you any weed,” Tyler says. 

“It can't hurt to try,” Dylan sighs. He turns back to his phone. _im joking re costumes._

“Maybe he'll wear like.” Tyler bares his teeth at Dylan. “Vampire teeth. Suck your neck for a while.”

“Oh, _fuck_ you,” Dylan says. He reaches over the arm of the couch and punches Tyler hard in the thigh just above his knee, and it fucking hurts but Dylan blushes _really_ red while he does it, so it's worth it.

+

Jamie and Connor show up together, and the first thing Tyler notices is that Connor is wearing a wire headband with cat ears attached to it, and the second thing he notices is that Connor has whiskers drawn across his cheeks. Tyler grins so wide when he opens the door that he's almost worried his face is going to crack in half but it would be so worth it. “Oh my god,” he says, delighted.

“Jamie made me wear this,” Connor says. 

From behind him, Jamie grins and puts his hands on Connor’s shoulders. “Is he not the _cutest_ cat you've ever seen?”

“Dylan said he was joking about costumes.” He reaches up to take the ears off but Tyler grabs his wrist. 

“Stromer!” Tyler yells over his shoulder. “Our guests are here!”

“ _Please_ don't let him see this,” Connor says, helpless.

Jamie hooks an arm around Connor’s shoulders. “You're going to make his entire _year_ ,” he says, and he grins at Tyler as Dylan skids around the corner in stocking feet. When he sees Connor he almost runs face first into the wall.

“Oh...my god,” Dylan says.

“He's a cat!” Jamie says, and he quirks an eyebrow. 

The sleeves of Connor’s sweater are too long and they cover his knuckles when he holds up his hand with his fingers hooked, reluctantly, like claws. “Meow,” he says flatly. “I feel like a fucking idiot.”

Dylan braces himself against the wall in the hallway and Tyler thinks Dylan might actually die. “You, ah.” He shakes his head and looks from Tyler to Jamie and back to Connor. “You have whiskers.”

Connor presses his lips together. 

Tyler knows that all Dylan has to do is ask him for a picture, and Connor would let him take one. That's all Dylan has to do to preserve this moment forever. So, like a normal person, Tyler focuses all of his energy on willing Dylan to ask, and then, like magic, Dylan takes his phone out of his back pocket and says, “Please take a selfie with me.”

Connor sighs. “Dylan, come on.”

“You can wash them off after, Davo, just one picture. I won't even tag you.”

Connor doesn't take much convincing before he agrees, and Dylan looks like he won the lottery. He pulls Connor close and takes a few selfies at an awkward angle, and Tyler holds out a hand. “You want me to take it instead?” he asks. 

“This isn't a fucking photoshoot!” Connor says. 

Dylan hands Tyler his phone anyway and hugs Connor around the neck, pressing his cheek against Connor’s and grinning with all his teeth. “You're the worst,” Connor mutters, but he puts an arm around Dylan’s waist and smiles big anyway to match Dylan’s smile, and Tyler zooms in on their faces and holds down the button to make sure he gets a good shot. 

Tyler scrolls through them and grins. “This is the cutest fucking picture I've ever seen,” he says, handing Dylan's phone back.

“I want a copy,” Jamie says, “can you send it to me?”

“I'm going to wash this off,” Connor says, taking the headband off. “I hate Halloween.” He walks upstairs to the bathroom, and Dylan follows him; a couple stairs up, he turns around to Tyler and Jamie and mouths, _oh my god_.

“I had the best idea,” Tyler says quietly, when they've disappeared upstairs. 

“Mmhmm?” Jamie kisses Tyler’s cheek. “What’s that?”

“A corn maze,” Tyler says. “Seasonal, moderately spooky, great place to stick close to people so you don’t get lost.”

“You’re a fucking genius,” Jamie says. 

“I _love_ when you talk dirty to me,” Tyler says, grinning.

Jamie rolls his eyes and laughs. “You’re an idiot. I brought booze,” he says. He sounds proud of himself.

“Thank _fuck_ for that,” Tyler says. “Hey. Why didn't you wear a costume?”

Jamie shrugs. “Dylan said no costumes.”

Connor and Dylan come back down the stairs, shoulders bumping together, and Connor doesn't have the whiskers anymore but the headband is back on, and Dylan is blushing and won’t look anywhere but at his feet. Connor’s cheeks are pink but Tyler’s not sure if something happened or if it's just from scrubbing the whiskers off. 

“I thought you didn’t like the ears,” Jamie says, eyes narrowing. 

“Dylan thought they were cute, so.” Connor shrugs, but he's grinning. 

Dylan shakes his head at his feet. 

“Oh, _Dylan_ thought they were cute,” Jamie says. “So I have to listen to you whine about them the whole drive over, and then a cute boy likes them and they're suddenly your favorite thing. I see how it is.”

Tyler feels giddy. Jamie is his favorite person in the entire world.

“You can't choose feelings, Benn,” Dylan says. He looks up and meets Tyler’s eyes and he's absolutely beaming. 

“So!” Connor says, too loud and cheeks flushed pink, “we’re carving pumpkins?”

Tyler googles _where to pick pumpkins_ and comes up with a list of farms and markets. He scrolls through them while Jamie looks over his shoulder. Then, like the best partner in crime he can be, Jamie says, “Oh look, this one has a corn maze.”

“Like a creepy one?” Dylan makes a face. 

“It’s _daytime_ ,” Tyler points out. 

“Corn mazes are creepy as _fuck_ at any time of day,” Dylan says. 

“This one’s just normal corn, not creepy,” Jamie says. “They’ve got goats, too. And donuts.”

“Let’s do that, that sounds good,” Connor says.

Dylan looks at Connor. “You’re supposed to be on my side,” he says, gently nudging at Connor’s ribs with his knuckles. His voice is softer than normal. “It's a _corn maze_ , Connor.”

“We’ve gotta get pumpkins, like, we might as well do a corn maze, too,” Connor says. 

“And donuts!” Tyler says. “You’re overlooking the donuts.”

“If we get stuck in that maze and a scarecrow comes alive and rips my face off, I’m haunting all of you until you die,” Dylan says, and he points at Connor. “ _Especially_ you.”

“Jesus,” Tyler mutters as he copies the address of the farm to get directions, “you're the most dramatic person I've ever fucking met in my life.”

“You'll be fine,” Connor says to Dylan, like it's no big deal and like nobody else exists in the entire world. “And if a scarecrow comes alive and tries to kill you or whatever, I'll hold your hand.”

Jamie's eyes go wide and he looks at Tyler, biting back a smile, but Dylan's eyes are locked on Connor and he doesn't even notice. “Okay,” Dylan says, voice soft. “Cool.”

+

Tyler makes Jamie ride up front to navigate, even though Jamie always says his legs are too long to ride up front, but this time he doesn’t complain at all because it means Connor and Dylan are stuck sitting together in the backseat. Tyler puts the radio on and nobody says a word the whole way there, and it’s awkward and charged with a weird nervous energy and Tyler loves every second of it.

They get donuts first, and Connor and Dylan wander off around the back of the barn. Jamie kisses Tyler next to a pile of pumpkins and he tastes like cinnamon and sugar. “I love you,” he says to Tyler, and Tyler will never get tired of feeling like this.

“Yo, there’s baby goats back here, Benn,” Dylan calls to them from behind the barn. Jamie kisses Tyler again, quick, and takes his hand as they walk out back.

There’s a pen with five or six tiny little goats out there, and Tyler ends up spending a dollar on handfuls of goat food from a vending machine because Jamie’s so into the idea of feeding them. Connor and Dylan stay leaning against the fence outside the pen while Jamie and Tyler sit on a rock inside the pen and are absolutely swarmed by baby goats. Tyler watches Jamie as he feeds them from the palm of his hand, and every time another one pushes their way in to eat a few pellets, Jamie says softly, “Hi, pal, good job.” 

Tyler has never been so charmed in his whole life. 

Dylan is apprehensive when they get in line to get tickets for the corn maze, but he gets a ticket anyway and Connor grins big. “This’ll be fun!” Connor says.

“Don’t forget, I’m going to haunt you,” Dylan says sweetly. “You better protect me with your fucking life.”

They start off together, but then they take a couple of turns and get to a fork in the path. “I think it’s this way,” Connor says.

“Nah, this way,” Jamie says, pointing down the opposite path.

“You wanna split up?” Tyler asks.

“No,” Dylan says immediately. 

“Okay, well, we’re going this way,” Jamie says, sticking to the path he’d said. Tyler holds his breath.

“Come on,” Connor says, taking Dylan’s hand. Dylan drops his eyes to look at it before looking back at Connor. “We’ll be fine.”

“If we don't make it out,” Dylan calls as Connor drags him down the other path, “tell my mother I love her!” They disappear around the corner.

“Something happened at your place,” Jamie says immediately.

“What?” Tyler shakes his head. “No. What?”

“I will bet you twenty bucks that something happened at your place.” Jamie looks at Tyler and raises his eyebrows. 

“Nothing happened at my place,” Tyler says, but he’s honestly not so sure. “But I’ll bet you twenty bucks they make out inside this corn maze.”

“Deal,” Jamie says.

+

Tyler sits on an actual bale of hay while they wait for Connor and Dylan, and Jamie sits cross-legged in the grass at his feet. “You think we should go back in to find them?” Jamie asks. He looks up at Tyler and has creases between his eyebrows, like he's actually worried. Tyler's heart swells.

“It's only been like, ten minutes,” Tyler says, “we'd hear screams if a scarecrow got them.”

Jamie laughs and the worry-lines in his forehead go away immediately. “I love spending time with you, you make everything feel like an adventure,” he says. “You're my favorite person.”

“Of all time?” Tyler says. He suddenly feels like he wants to cry, he's so fucking happy. 

“Of _all_ time, yeah.” Jamie smiles at him, squinting a little in the sun, and Tyler shifts his body so his shadow is across Jamie's face. “Thanks, babe!”

“When did you start using that word?” Tyler grins. 

“Months ago,” Jamie says. “Just for you, though.”

“Just for me,” Tyler echoes. “It’s super reaffirming to think that you think _I’m_ a babe. Does wonders for my self esteem.”

“Oh my god,” Jamie says, “like your self esteem needs _anybody_ telling it that you're a fucking babe.”

“It goes _straight_ to my head, bud,” Tyler says. “Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred bucks.” 

“You should be calling me babe,” Jamie says thoughtfully. “Bud sounds so impersonal.”

“It's meant with _love_ ,” Tyler says. “Doesn't matter what the word is, as long as it's meant with love.”

“Hmm,” Jamie says. “I don't know if _that's_ true.”

It's then that Connor walks out of the maze, with Dylan following him, and Connor holds up both hands, victorious. “We survived!” he says. 

As they get closer, Tyler notices that Connor has a red mark just above the collar of his sweater, and he also notices that it’s shaped a little like teeth.

“Hey,” Jamie says, frowning.

Tyler also notices that Dylan has straw on his shirt, and his hair is messed up in the back.

“ _Hey_ ,” Tyler says, possibly frowning even more than Jamie. 

“So, um,” Connor says, messing with the collar of his sweater and glancing over at Dylan. Dylan licks his bottom lip and watches Connor as he rubs the back of his neck. 

“A scarecrow didn't get you, obviously,” Jamie says. 

“ _Something_ got you, though,” Tyler says, nodding at Connor and tapping the side of his own neck.

“Yeahhh, sooo,” Dylan says, dragging it out, and he smiles at Connor in the stupidest way. 

“Stop,” Connor says, laughing, and he shoves at Dylan's shoulder. “Come on.”

“ _What_ is happening,” Tyler says.

“Wait, did _you_ do that??” Jamie asks, pointing at Dylan.

“I fucking told him!” Dylan blurts out, like he can't possibly hold onto this information for one second longer, gesturing wildly at Connor. “At home, when we were in the bathroom. We made out in the corn maze.”

Connor is _beaming_. 

“It’s a Halloween romance!” Jamie says, delighted. 

“Oh my god, this is the _best_ ,” Tyler says. He makes a mental note to demand twenty bucks from Jamie later, although he’s pretty sure now he owes Jamie twenty bucks, too.

“You guys are the most overinvested friends I've ever had,” Dylan says fondly.

“You love it, though,” Jamie says, “don’t you love it?”

“Yes,” Dylan sighs, shaking his head. “I fucking love it.”

+

They all pick out pumpkins to carve, but when they get back home, Dylan drags Connor to his bedroom with a DVD of Hocus Pocus and a bag of candy corn. “Bye, goodnight, see you tomorrow,” he says to Jamie and Tyler over his shoulder and then he slams his bedroom door shut and Tyler just hears muffled laughter.

“We’re never going to see them again,” Jamie says sadly. 

“They have to come out for food at some point,” Tyler says. “Nobody can survive on just candy corn.”

Tyler lays out newspaper on the kitchen table while Jamie looks for a Halloween playlist on Spotify. They end up with the Monster Mash on repeat. 

Tyler has a bunch of plastic pumpkin carving tools he'd found at Target but he quickly decides they're useless when he can't even cut the top of his pumpkin open. “Jaaamie,” he says, because Jamie is already digging the insides out of his pumpkin. “How did you _do_ that?”

Jamie ends up taking the tops off all four pumpkins, and then taking the insides out of all four pumpkins, because the prep work for carving pumpkins is difficult and disgusting. “There are so many guts,” Tyler says.

“Let's roast these,” Jamie says, gesturing to the seeds, so they abandon the pumpkins for a while to lay the seeds out on cookie sheets.

Tyler is breathless from laughing by the time they get them into the oven. “This is so much work,” he says, “and for such a small payoff!”

Jamie is laughing, too. “Yeah, but it's fun, right? I'm having fun.”

“Are you ever not having fun?” Tyler asks. “We always have fun.”

“Right?” Jamie says. “I think we do. I'm not _always_ having fun, but with you I'm _always_ having fun.”

Tyler leans against the counter and smiles. “Why are you like this,” he says softly. 

Jamie looks up at Tyler and smiles as he washes his hands. His eyes are warm and his smile is soft and kind, and Tyler feels weak in the knees. “Like what?”

“The best,” Tyler says. He shakes his head. “You're just the best.”

+

The next morning, Tyler and Jamie are the ones waiting in the booth at breakfast. Dylan’s door had been shut all night and when Tyler had knocked earlier, Dylan had groaned and yelled, “We’re naked, don’t come in!”

When they finally show up, Tyler and Jamie are sharing a fruit cup and Connor, at least, looks a little bashful.

“Sorry, guys,” he says, and he slides into the booth. Dylan slides in after him and he sits too close in Connor’s space but Connor doesn’t seem to mind.

“We almost starved to death, waiting for you,” Tyler says. 

Dylan rubs his index finger and thumb together. “World’s fucking _smallest_ violin,” he says. His arm is stretched behind Connor on the back of the booth.

“So,” Jamie says, grinning mischievously, “how was last night?”

“I don’t like to kiss and tell,” Dylan says. 

“We weren’t naked, though,” Connor says, looking at Dylan.

“No, that was a lie,” Dylan agrees, and he grins at Connor. 

“You know, it looks like we might’ve found somebody for Davo,” Tyler says to Jamie, and Jamie nods.

“What was it he said?” Jamie says, squinting. 

“Davo’s fine,” Tyler says in an absolutely horrible Connor impression. “You don’t need to find anybody for Davo.”

“Okay, first of all, I don’t sound like _that_ ,” Connor says. 

“Hey, that was my resolution!” Dylan lights up. “Remember?”

“It was!” Tyler laughs. “Jesus. What a difference ten months makes, eh?”

Connor looks over at Dylan and smiles. “You’re probably an eleven.” He looks across the table. “You think Stromer’s an eleven?”

“Oh shit, easily,” Tyler says. “I might even bump him up to a twelve.”

“A twelve!” Dylan grins. “I think Nuge had me beat in the eyebrows department but I mean, I'll take it.” He pulls Connor closer and kisses him on the cheek. 

“Oh no.” Jamie smiles at them. “Now you guys are gross!”

Tyler takes his hand under the table, and Jamie’s smile gets bigger.

“Aren’t we _all_ a little gross?” Connor asks, and Tyler laughs.

“You know what, I love it when two people finally figure their shit out,” Tyler says.

“Right?” Dylan says, gleeful. “It’s the best fucking thing in the world.”


End file.
